Upper School

Welcome to Upper School

In the Upper School, we relentlessly shape our curriculum to effectively bring all truth under the umbrella of His truth. We offer a careful sequence of challenging core courses because we recognize that our students only have a brief amount of time to gain the knowledge, skills and wisdom necessary for the next phase of their lives – the move from home and church into the university community. We maintain a dual focus on both the student’s educational and spiritual development.

If you toured our classrooms on a given day, you may see seniors discussing the universal problem of suffering by contrasting Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and Miller’s Death of a Salesman, or you may see juniors reading their personal testimonies – entirely in French. In biology class, you could watch students wrestle with the tensions between creationism and the theory of evolution. In chapel, you would see student-led worship and hear inspiring testimonies.

All of these events, and many more, are purposefully crafted to create an environment where students can build on personal faith and their God-given abilities to embrace the possibilities of a future realized through discipline and commitment to truth.

Kyle MorrillHead of Upper School

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Advanced Placement instead of Dual Enrollment

When considering the curriculum choices in secondary education, many question the benefits of Advanced Placement courses versus dual enrollment courses. A current trend in contemporary secondary education is to offer dual enrollment courses in high schools as an alternative to Advanced Placement courses.

A dual enrollment course is a college course that is taught in high school or at a local community college in lieu of the school’s traditional course. If the dual enrollment course is passed, the student earns two credits: one high-school credit and one college-level credit.

Advanced Placement courses require syllabi approval from the College Board and offer national exams in order to receive college credit. If the Advanced Placement course is passed, the student earns one high-school credit; however, college credit is determined by the score the student receives on the exam taken at the end of the course, according to each university’s policy.

Most educational leaders, counselors and college admissions personnel recognize that the Advanced Placement educational standards are higher than those of dual enrollment courses, which are frequently taught by community colleges and do not have to meet approved College Board guidelines. Dual enrollment credits and grades are often not accepted or transferable to more competitive institutions, private colleges and universities or out-of-state schools, while Advanced Placement credits are widely accepted by colleges and universities across the country. Many college admission offices view Advanced Placement courses as more challenging than dual enrollment courses and look favorably upon applicants who choose the more demanding Advanced Placement track.

Senior administrators at Trinity Christian Academy have carefully studied both options, gathering input from parents, students, counselors and college admissions personnel. After considering all of the data, Trinity Christian Academy has chosen to offer the Advanced Placement curriculum and not the dual enrollment option.

Trinity Christian Academy is a private coeducational school for grades PreK–12 which offers Christian families and their children a demanding, college preparatory curriculum within a Christian community committed to integrating Biblical faith and learning.